A small plane crashed in Western Alaska on Thursday, killing all eight people aboard, according to military officials.
The plane, a Cessna 441, had taken off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was headed to Cape Newenham when it crashed around 11:45 a.m. local time west of Cape Newenham L.R.R.S. Airport, a U.S. military site.
The cause of the crash was under investigation, but there was fog above Cape Newenham at the time, according to the National Weather Service. The plane was making its second approach after aborting an initial landing attempt, and the pilots were flying solely on instruments, Clint Johnson, chief of the National Traffic Safety Board’s regional office in Alaska, said at a news conference on Friday afternoon in Anchorage.
“Weather did not allow them to see the ground,” Mr. Johnson said.
The plane was on a “civilian-contracted” flight, the U.S. military’s Alaskan Command said in a statement. Neither Mr. Johnson nor the Alaskan Command provided details about the mission. “These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” the command said.
Two pilots, two U.S. Army engineers and four contractors were aboard the plane when it crashed, Mr. Johnson said. The pilots were employed by Security Aviation, a charter company based at the Anchorage airport, he said. The Alaskan Command said in its statement that the names of the victims would be released after their next of kin had been notified.
The airport at Cape Newenham is closed to the public and serves a long-range military radar site.
The N.T.S.B. is sending a six-member team to investigate the crash and the Federal Aviation Administration is sending at least one investigator, Mr. Johnson said. The crash site, roughly a mile from the Cape Newenham runway, is in an area of “steep mountainous terrain” and is “not easy” to get to, he said.
On Thursday, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said on X, “I join Alaskans in condolences as we learn of the plane crash in Cape Newenham today.”
“I’ve traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots,” she said. “I appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for responding to the site.”
“Alaska is praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation,” she added.
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